The Lost Ones
by missy hallan
Summary: Tai and Sora are killed, and the remaining digidestined struggle to go on without them. But, will an unexpected turn of events change things for the better, or make them worse?
1. Lost

disclaimer: I don't own digimon, it's characters or anything else that goes with it. That counts for the rest of this series too.

Well, I'm back. With a series. That makes this the longest thing I've posted to date. I'm glad that you all liked two of my last three stories. The last one I posted only got one review. (I feel so loved) I just hope this one does better.

As far as series go, this one is not too long. There is some Taiora and Takari in it, but this is not a big mushy romance. It has other stuff going on too. I'm trying to put in a bit of everything in this by the end and not just favor one genre. I have part two written so hopefully I'll have it up for you soon, and part three is in the works. I might hold out until I break the ten review point, but it depends how long that takes. Anymore than that would be asking for a miracle. Well, here it is. Sit back and enjoy the show. Don't mind me, I used to work at a movie theatre. 

The Lost Ones

pt.1 Lost

Matt scowled lightly as he walked through a wooded area of digiworld. He was trailing behind Tai and Sora, who were chatting happily. He had been the one to get stuck with the pair on this scouting mission. The absence of their digimon hung heavily in his mind. This left them completely vulnerable to any oncoming attacks. Although with the amount of control spires in the area they would provide little help. Still, Matt felt unusually nervous.

His bad mood was only increased by the company he was keeping. Being alone with Tai would have been just fine. The two were quite good friends, and got along very well. Being alone with Sora would have been even better. Matt had long ago developed feelings for the compassionate redhead. Yet though he could get along with the two separately, he couldn't stand them together. Their feelings for each other were obvious as Matt angrily watched them flirt. The tenderness in Tai's actions towards her and the softness in his voice as he spoke to her sickened Matt on a level he never imagined possible. This was only heightened by the fact that Sora returned Tai's loving behavior one hundred percent. Unable to stomach the situation any longer, Matt allowed his anger to explode.

"You two are sure doing a great job of ignoring me!" he yelled.

Tai and Sora stopped in their tracks and spun around to face him. Concern was evident in both of their eyes.

"I'm sorry Matt," said Sora.

"Like hell you are you stupid bitch!"

Matt barely had time to spit out the words before Tai's fist connected with his cheekbone. Sora stood shocked for a moment, fighting the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes before she turned and ran off into the woods.

"WHERE THE HELL DID THAT COME FROM! SHE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TO YOU!" Tai yelled before he sprinted off after Sora.

"That's what you think," Matt muttered once Tai was out of earshot...

Being the faster runner, Tai easily gained on Sora. He managed to grab a hold of her and stop her. At this point she had calmed down a little, but tears still flowed freely her face. Tai released her from him and turned her to face him slowly. He smiled down at her weakly, while maintaining a soft grip on her shoulders.

"Don't mind Matt. He's just being a jerk. You know how he gets."

"No, he has a reason to be mad at me."

"What is it?" Tai asked, a little bewildered.

"Well," Sora faltered slightly, unsure how to continue, "he asked me out about a week ago and I said no."

"That's it!? Just because he bruised his ego doesn't give him the right to act like an asshole," Tai fumed. 

"Well you shouldn't of punched him. I should've respected his feelings more. You need to apologize to him."

Tai sighed at her as a soft smile spread across his face.

"You're amazing you know. He acts like a jerk and you're still not mad."

Sora blushed lightly at Tai's words.

"I'm just saying it was my fault too."

"Well, I'll apologize to him if he apologizes to you. By the way, why did you say no? He doesn't get that too often," Tai teased.

Sora's blush intensified as Tai asked the question she'd been dreading. Yet she didn't have to answer. A loud crashing noise could be heard coming towards them. She unconsciously grabbed Tai's hand and squeezed it tightly, causing Tai's face to resemble hers' in color.

"What was that?" she asked.

"I don't know."

Tai silently prayed it was just Matt or one of the Digidestined, but he highly doubted it. This thing sounded much larger than a person. It seemed that quite a large digimon was coming towards them.

Tai's worries were confirmed when a large Tyrannomon emerged from the brush behind them. A dark ring clung tightly to its neck, and its eyes glowed a ferocious red. Tai was barely able to choke out one word,

"Run!"

They sprinted away immediately, their hands still locked together tightly. The Tyrannomon roared loudly before it began to chase them. The hunt was its favorite part of a kill. Little did Tai and Sora know, but they were doing exactly what the Tyrannomon wanted. It had been sent to specially to take them out. The absence of their digimon made it too easy, and the hunt made it enjoyable. It would only be a matter of time before it caught them.

Propelled by sheer fear and adrenalin, Tai ran faster than ever before in his life. By some miracle, Sora was ale to keep up with him, though he was pulling her along to some degree.

The terrain was rough, making the run harder. The trees began to thin as the ground became rockier. All the while the Tyrannomon could be heard thundering behind them.

Tai ad Sora had managed to widen the gap between them and the Tyrannomon, but they were running out of ground. The ground in the distance cut off sharply to about a fifteen-foot drop. Tai felt his stomach turn as he realized what they'd have to do.

"We gotta jump!" he yelled to Sora as they continued to run.

"Oh Tai, we can't!" Sora yelled back.

"We're out of other options," he said. They drew nearer to the edge, "Now jump!" 

Sora closed her eyes as she felt the ground beneath her feet vanish. Her hand slipped out of Tai's as the jagged ground rushed up at her. She landed hard on her feet, which gave out with a cracking noise. She fell to the ground completely. Her right ankle throbbed painfully. Her breaths were light and shuddering as the pain threatened to take over her body.

"Sora, are you all right!?" Tai asked in a slightly panicked voice.

Sora forced her eyes to focus as she sat up. Her eye's met his sadly.

"My ankle's broken," she looked away from him suddenly. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes, which she blinked away quickly, "Tai, just go on without me. That Tyrannomon is almost here. I couldn't stand it if it got you too."

"There's no way in hell I'm leaving you here!" he said in a harsh tone. But his voice softened as his eyes found hers, "Come on Sora, you know me better than that. I love you, and I'm not gonna let you die here. No matter what it takes."

Sora's eyes widened at the implication of what he'd said. She found herself smiling slightly, despite their situation. Tai reached forward and caressed her face gently, causing her to blush a deep crimson.

The moment was shattered, however, by the sound of the tyrannomon drawing nearer.

"Tai there's no way out. I can't run, and if you help me you'll die too."

"There's always a way out..." 

Tai looked to his digivice. He took it off his belt. Sora, though unsure of his actions, did the same. The shadow of the Tyrannomon loomed above them, it's hungry eyes locked on the two teens. It opened it's mouth to blast them with it's fiery attack. Tai and Sora wrapped their arms around each other as they braced themselves for the attack...

Kari's head jerked upward suddenly as a flock of birds flew overhead. TK looked at her, a little concerned.

"You okay Kar?" he asked softly.

She looked to him, her eyes locked on his. A panicked look was evident in her gaze.

"Something's wrong. We have to find everyone," she said hurriedly.

"All right," TK answered, not questioning where She'd gotten such a notion. "Sora, Matt and Tai should be around here somewhere. They can help us find everyone else."

"Thank you TK," she replied, sounding slightly calmer.

As they began walking, Kari started to question her actions. Yet she knew somehow that she was right in what she was doing. Something was wrong. She could feel it in the air. TK said nothing as they walked, yet she knew he never doubted her. He was always so agreeable.

She was broken from her thoughts by the image of Matt, sitting on a rock several feet in front of them.

"Matt!" TK called. Matt turned to face them. There was a strange darkness in his eyes. TK asked his next question nervously, "Where's Tai and Sora?"

"We got in a fight and they ran off."

TK nodded, unworried. However Kari let out a gasp.

"Oh my god. We have to find them now! Tai! Sora!" she called as she walked into the forest.

"I think she's really flipped this time," Matt whispered sarcastically to TK.

"Leave her alone Matt!" TK retorted angrily.

"God you sound just like Tai. 'Leave Sora alone Matt! What'd she do to you?'" he said in a tone that mocked Tai. The two boys began walking after Kari as Matt continued to rant, "They're so annoying together. And Tai's such a wimp. It's so obvious how they feel it's sickening but they won't say anything!"

"Matt, you sound jealous," TK teased.

"Jealous! Of them! Look, they might like each other but they'll never be together. Sora's gonna get sick of waiting around for Tai and move on before he gets the guts to ask her out. TAI'S A PATHETIC LOSER!" Matt yelled the last part without noticing that Kari was about six feet in front of them, staring motionlessly at the ground below a cliff, "Kar, I didn't mean it," Matt started.

She didn't respond. TK and Matt approached her cautiously. They stood on either side of her and looked to the bottom of the cliff. The ground was scorched black in an odd circular pattern. In the center lay two digivices, which were miraculously in perfect condition.

No words were capable of describing the depth of emotion the three felt at that moment. They all knew who those digivices belonged to. Kari suddenly burst into tears. TK wrapped her into a loving embrace as she sobbed pathetically against his chest. Matt stared solemnly at the two digivices. He wanted to cry more than ever before in his entire life, yet found that no tears would come. He found himself void of all emotion as he stared down at the spot his two friends had once stood. A dark emptiness had descended on his soul, and he would carry that darkness with him for the rest of his life...

In the days that followed Taichi and Sora's death, it seemed that a black cloud had descended over the digidestined. They all found themselves drowning in a deep state of grief and despair. Yet as the days turned to weeks, and the weeks to months, sunlight began to leak through the blackness of their grief. TK was the first to see this light for reasons only he knew. But the cloud would never leave Matt. As the others began to move on and laugh again, Matt remained trapped in his grief, and he found himself growing distant from them.

The digidestined had fought ad best they could against Ken during those dark days. However, their efforts had little effect, and Ken's empire grew stronger. Matt refused to go back to digiworld after that day. Everyone respected his wishes, although his absence was having a noticeable affect on the outcomes of their battles, and it seemed they were losing the battle against Ken.

TK never gave up hope, and it was his hope that allowed Kari to go on with her life. Over the months, she and TK had become exceptionally close. Those two reasons combined were why Kari wanted TK there when she made the next step in putting her grief behind her.

Kari had retrieved Tai and Sora's digivices from the bottom of the cliff once she had collected herself enough to do so. Since then she had kept them with her at all times. It made her feel closer to them somehow. Yet now, she felt that she needed to put that behind her if she was to move on. And, she'd thought of the perfect way to do so.

Kari waited nervously for TK to come to her. They had arranged a spot to meet in the digiworld and, although TK had no idea what her motives were he agreed to come without question. She stared down at the two blackened screens of the digivices, which she held in her hand. The deathly blackness haunted her, yet she expected a light to come from them somehow, and life to return to the two long dead screens.

She was jolted from her thought by the feeling of TK hand on her shoulder. She turned to stare into his sapphire eyes and found herself blushing in spite of herself.

"What's wrong Kar?" he asked, barely above a whisper, as he allowed himself to rub her arm gently.

"Nothing really TK. I wanted you to be with me because I need your strength. I'm going to bury Tai and Sora's digivices in a place that's special to them. They're gone now and it's time I accept that."

A solitary tear rolled down Kari's cheek. TK gently wiped it away with his thumb. He tilted her face upward slightly so that she was staring into his eyes.

"Kari, they'll always be with you, whether you have their digivices or not. They'll never truly be gone as long as someone here loves them."

"I know," Kari said with a sigh, "but I need to do this."

"All right," TK replied cheerily, "So where are we headed?"

"It's not too far from here. Tai told me about this place shortly before he," Kari cut off suddenly as a lump formed on her throat. She continued on, somewhat pained, "before he died. During our first time in digiworld, Tai and Sora used to come to this place to talk at night. He was too embarrassed to admit it, but I could tell this was a special place to him. I'm betting it meant a lot to Sora too." 

"Yea," TK sighed' "They really did love each other. It's too bad they never got together."

Kari nodded. She stopped walking suddenly.

"This is it," se stated simply.

TK awed at the view. They had come to rest at a cliff edge that overlooked Primary Village. Despite Ken's wrath, the baby digimon still thrived, completely innocent.

"It's beautiful..." he gasped.

They stared onward for several minutes before Kari snapped back to reality. She withdrew a garden spade from her backpack and began to dig a hole. She stopped when it was about two feet deep. She then deposited the digivices carefully into the hole and began to fill it in with dirt. TK knelt and helped her. When they were finished they stood. Kari made no attempt to mark the piece of ground.

"I don't want Ken to ever find these. God knows what he'd do with them. But since that was the only part of them that was left, they seem special. And I don't ever want him to touch them."

A bitterness was evident her voice as she spoke of Ken. They had all been changed by Tai and Sora's death, but it was most evident in Kari and Matt. Their demeanors had changed. Although Kari's light had not completely gone out like Matt's, it had faded considerably. To TK, it was very disheartening.

"We'd better go now," said TK solemnly. 

Kari nodded in agreement and the two departed silently.

Questions? Comment? Complaints? Mail me at Lucky5@hehe.com 


	2. Hope

Disclaimer: I don't own digimon. Or Nyquil.

Well, I'm back with part two. I'll try to keep this brief. Well part two is, how should I phrase this, very to the point. I just said what needed to be said in order for the plot to progress. Part three is turning out the same way, but hopefully, part four won't. I just really didn't want to write these two parts. Why, I don't know. I'll have three up as soon as I can, since I'm almost done. But for now, here's part two. Enjoy!

Pt. 2 Hope

In the weeks following the burial of Tai and Soras digivices, TK found himself becoming more and more restless. He couldn't sleep, and found himself having strange dreams. Yet, when he awoke, he could never recall them.

But TK tried his best to push these thoughts out of his mind, for he had more pressing worries. As far as TK was concerned, there had been three lives lost that day. Matt had seemingly become a shell with no soul. He didn't speak unless spoken to, which was not an easy task these days. He never left his house, and didn't answer the phone. Even showing up on his doorstep rarely worked, for he almost never answered the door. It was nearly a year after Tai and Sora's death, and TK had only talked to his brother twice. Even that miniscule amount was more than the other digidestined had been able to accomplish.

Now, TK was standing impatiently at Matt's doorstep. He'd knocked, but heard no sound from the other side of the door. Angered, TK beat his fists against the door.

"Matt open up!" he yelled. No response, "Damn it Matt! You can't go on like this!" 

With a sudden burst of strength, the now thirteen year old Takeru forced the door open. Upon entering Matt's apartment, he knew something was not right. The place was a mess, as usual. Dirty dishes littered the countertops and sink. Various articles of clothing and other such clutter lay strewn around the floor. Matt was nowhere in sight.

"Matt!" TK called, alarmed.

He made his way further into the apartment. When Matt was not present in either his or his father's bedroom, TK began to question if he was in the apartment at all. Then his eyes fell on the bathroom door. It was slightly ajar, and a light shone from underneath it. TK inhaled sharply as the realization of what Matt had done hit him. His hand trembled as it went to the doorknob. He pushed the door open slowly, afraid of what the image on the other side might be.

His eyes fixated on Matt. He was sprawled on the floor. His pale face lay against the cold tiles. His whole body seemed weak, broken. Next to his open palm lay an open bottle of Nyquil. TK sank to his knees slowly as horror overtook him...

Kari flew up the hospital stairs. She burst through the emergency room door, followed closely by Mr. Ishida. TK stood back on to them.

"TK!" Kari called.

He spun around to face them. Kari ran to him and threw her arms around him, while Mr. Ishida approached the nearest doctor. TK clung tightly to Kari as fresh tears rolled freely down his cheeks. Kari cried her own tears as she embraced TK just as tightly.

"God Kar, we're falling apart," he whispered into her hair...

Several hours later, TK and Kari still remained in the hospital waiting room. They sat in two rather uncomfortable plastic chairs, waiting to hear Matt's fate. Kari cradled an exhausted and unnerved TK in her arms as though he were a young child. She brushed a few arrant tendrils of his soft blond hair from his brow. TK felt somewhat comforted by her touch, yet nothing could take away the images that haunted his mind as he stared blankly at his surroundings. Mr. Ishida wore a similar expression as he sat next to them.

A young doctor approached them somewhat nervously.

"Mr. Ishida?" he questioned, a slight quaver in his voice. Mr. Ishida stood bolt upright at the mention of his name. The doctor continued, "You're son Yamato is doing just fine. You're lucky he got here when he did. However, we'd like to keep him overnight to let him recover. Also, we would advise that he speak with a therapist."

"I'll make sure he does. Can we see him?"

"No, he's still unconscious. You can see him in the morning."

Mr. Ishida nodded solemnly and the doctor left them. At that moment, a distressed looking Nancy Takaishi walked into the waiting room. She hurried over to the three. Freshly shed tears still stained her cheeks.

"I'm so sorry it took so long. How's Matt doing?" she asked in a chocked voice.

"He's fine, but we can't see him until the morning," answered a relieved sounding Mr. Ishida.

"In that case, why don't we get these two home?" she said, referring to TK and Kari, "I'm sure they're exhausted. You can take them. I'll wait here. You have a key, don't you sweetheart?" she asked TK. He nodded blankly in response.

"I'll be back soon," said Ishida as the three rose to leave...

A deathly silence overtook them on the trip home. TK was at the worst Kari had ever seen him. He had always been her rock to climb on, and now he needed her to be his. As the car pulled up to TK apartment building, Kari broke the silence.

"Would you like me to stay with you tonight TK? I mean if that's okay with you Mr. Ishida."

"Yeah I would," TK replied quietly, "Dad?"

"Of course. I'll call you later on tomorrow."

The two nodded and without another word, they got out of the car and took the elevator ride up to TK's apartment. Shakily, they began the actions of getting in the door that would have come as second nature on any other night. They stood in the front porch for several minutes with their shoes off before Kari spoke.

"So..." she started, letting her voice trail.

"Kar, I can't talk right now. I just want to sleep, okay?" he questioned softly.

"Of course. Come on."

The two of them walked down the hall into TK's bedroom and climbed into his bed. Kari wrapped her arms around TK tightly, and he began to cry silently against her until he fell into a fitful sleep...

TK found himself standing in a thick forest. He studied his surroundings, which seemed vaguely familiar.

"TK," a soft voice called to him. It seemed to exist upon the wind itself, and it too, seemed familiar. He felt the urge to cry out swell within him, yet he resisted it. The voice continued on, "TK, help us. You're the only one who can."

Suddenly, the owner of the voices name popped into his head.

"Tai!? Where are you?" he called.

"The digivices. Get them. Bring us back. Save us..." the voice faded.

"Tai!" he called frantically.

He suddenly felt as though he was moving through the forest at a rapid pace. He was going somewhere. Finally, he stopped at a cliff overlooking Primary Village...

TK sat upright in bed. His breathing came in rapid gasps as a cold sweat drenched his entire body. He looked at the clock. It read 2:37 am. Next to him, Kari stirred as she began to wake. For a moment he forgot why she was there, but then the day's events came flooding back to him.

"What's the matter?" Kari asked groggily.

"Tai and Sora. They're alive. I know they are. They're alive. They're in the digiworld. They need my help," TK blurted out frantically.

"What are you talking about?" Kari asked. A slightly pained tone rang clear in her voice, "They're gone. You know that."

"They're not. They're trapped somewhere. I can help them. I can bring them back. You have to believe me Hikari," he whispered.

He drew closer to her, as instinct took over his body. He brought his hand up to her cheek, bringing her even closer and his lips met hers in a passionate kiss.

Kari tensed up at first, yet soon allowed herself to relax, as she became completely immersed in the kiss. TK laid her down on the bed as their kiss intensified.

About fifteen minutes later, Kari was lulled into a blissful sleep, safe in TK's arms. However, TK could not rest. Reluctantly, he let her go, causing her to whimper slightly n her sleep. He walked silently to his door and cast a final glance to Kari before turning the corner and walking into his living room.

He flicked on the computer. Instantly, the glow from the screen lit up the room. He fumbled through his pockets for his digivice while he waited for his computer to load. Once it was ready, he held his digivice up to the screen.

"Digiport open," he whispered before he was engulfed in a bight light and disappeared from sight.

So, what did you all think? Personally, I think the whole dream sequence was a bit cheesy, but that's the only way I could think of to do things. I left you with a bit of a cliffhanger this time. Part three's one will be worse though (he, he, he) If you have any questions, comments, requests or complaints; feel free to mail me at Lucky5@hehe.com I just love talking to you guys, be it good or bad. Thanks for reading this, and please review!


	3. Capture

disclaimer: I don't own digimon. If I did, the show would be drastically different.

Okay, I'm back with part three! The wait is over. I'm not dead! Unfortunately for you all, this part kinda sucks. By the end, I'm sure you'll all be like 'How cheesy can this get?' I'm about half done part four, and am getting slightly bored with it. That's a sign of doom. When I get bored with a story, I stop to write it. But I swear to you all I will finish this! I'm filling in some blanks with this part, but not everything will work out until the end. Okay, I'm done. Go read the fic.

Pt 3. Capture

TK slowly began the hike to the spot where he and Kari had buried Tai and Sora's digivices. However, his actions didn't seem so rational to him now that he was actually in the digiworld. He wasn't sure what to do when he got there, and the temptation to return to Kari was great. Yet somehow, he knew he was doing the right thing. That dream hadn't been just a dream, that he knew for sure.

"Where do you think you're going?" a voice from behind him taunted.

TK turned slowly, dreading what he might see. He barely had time to register that it was a red-veggimon standing before him, when it swung a spiked arm at him. The attack hit him hard in the side of the head, leaving several ugly red gashes, and causing him to fall to the ground unconscious.

"The Emperor will be so pleased," it muttered to itself as it dragged TK off through the woods...

Kari awoke with a faint smile on her face as she thought of the night's events. Yet she couldn't be fully happy, as she should have been. Worry for Matt still weighed heavily on her shoulders, but she tried to remain happy. However, when she rolled over in bed she noticed someone was missing.

"TK, where are you?" she called.

When he didn't answer she got up and began to search the apartment, only to find the place quite deserted.

"Where could he be?" she asked herself aloud. Her eyes fell upon the computer screen, which clearly displayed a digiport, "Oh no..."

TK moaned with pain as he came to. His head throbbed violently and he could feel dried blood crusted on his face. Slowly, he opened his eyes, only to shut them again quickly. The brightness of the room had caused his headache to intensify.

"I see you're coming to."

TK recognized the voice to belong to Ken. He forced his eyes to open and face his captor. Ken stood before him, trademark whip in hand. Now that his eyes had adjusted to the light he realized that the room was actually rather dimly lit. It was small and had no furniture in it. There was one small window on the far wall that allowed TK to see into the hallway. Next to the window was a metal door. The walls and floor were made of the same cold gray metal as the door. He, himself, was standing and chained to the wall by rough metal shackles that cut into his arms and strained his wrists.

"I see you've chained me to the wall. How cliche," TK retorted, sounding braver than he felt.

"Quite the comedian, aren't you Takeru? Well, that won't last long," Ken replied coldly.

"What are you going to do? Kill me? The digidestined can still defeat you without me," TK challenged.

"Why would I kill you? You'd be of no use to me then. Though I must admit the thought is tempting. But you'll serve a much better purpose to me alive."

"They won't come for me, if that's what you're thinking. Even if they did, you'd never catch them all."

"That's where you're wrong Takeru. You're friends will come, and them you'll kill them for me."

TK looked at Ken as if he'd lost his mind. The statement was so ridiculous that he couldn't do anything but laugh. But he sobered up quickly.

"I'd never harm them!" TK cried fiercely.

"You say that so confidently, but you really don't have a choice in the matter."

"You'll have to kill me before I'll kill them."

"Again so confident, but so wrong. You belong to me now. You see, I've been working on a little project for some time. Ever since I created the dark rings I've been searching for more power. The power to control the human mind. The dark rings weren't strong enough, but I've created a new device. I call it the dark chip. It's tiny, but extremely effective. You have one in you right now. It's attached just under the skin on the back of your neck. I'm sure you have quite a headache. Right now your mind is fighting it, but in a few hours you should succumb to it. So you see Takeru, you're life is mine now. You know where they are. And when I have them, the three of you will kill the digidestined. So I wouldn't be so confident if I was you..." 

Matt stared blankly at a spot on the wall. He felt and looked like he'd been to hell and back. He'd been sent home with his father an hour ago. Since then, his father hadn't taken his eyes off him. It was almost as if he felt Matt would try something if left alone for a second.

There was a knock at the door. Mr. Ishida hesitated for a moment before going to answer it. He glanced back at Matt uneasily before disappearing from sight. Matt let out an indignant sigh.

Upon opening the door, Mr. Ishida found a rather flushed looking Kari on the other side.

"Kari," he greeted, "Where'd TK get to?"

"Um, he'll be over later. Could I please speak with Matt?" she asked in a breathless manner.

"Of course. Come on in."

Kari stared at Matt. She felt slightly intimidated by the sour expression on his face. But, she held her ground and spoke to him for TK's sake. As she'd hoped, Mr. Ishida had left them alone.

"Matt, TK's gone missing."

"So call the cops," he replied in a flat tone.

"I doubt they'll be able to find him. He's in the digiworld. I went to go look for him, but I couldn't pick up his signal anywhere on my digivice. I'm really worried," Kari pleaded.

"So what are you telling me for?" Matt asked darkly.

Kari stared at Matt in disbelief. A rapidly growing anger threatened to take over her.

"You selfish bastard. What the hell's the matter with you! HE'S YOUR BROTHER! I lost mine, and if somebody gave me the chance to save him, I'd do it and not think twice! You could lose TK today and you're just gonna sit there! He'd never do that to you, and Tai and Sora wouldn't of either! YOU DON'T DESERVE TO HAVE HIM FOR A BROTHER!" Kari screamed.

"Get out," Matt said in an eerily calm voice. Kari didn't move, "GET OUT!" he roared, jumping to his feet.

Kari turned on her heel and ran out the door, slamming it hard behind her...

Ken walked quickly down the blackened hallway. His heavy boots made a hollow clunking sound as they echoed of the steel enforced walls and floor. He stopped in front of the window to TK's cell. The boy hung his head limply. He appeared to be unconscious. Ken typed a few numbers into a key panel on the wall next to the heavy door, which then slid open.

He approached TK slowly, unsure if the dark chip had yet taken it's toll on him. He stopped several feet in front of him. TK didn't move.

"Takeru," Ken stated. TK's head shot up at lightning speed. His sapphire eye's had a strange darkness about them, yet there was also something else. There was a certain wildness behind his gaze. A lust to kill. Ken continued, incredibly pleased with himself, "How do you feel?"

"I can't move my arms."

"Well, I'll let you down, but first I need to ask you a few questions. You know where the digivices are, don't you?"

"Yes."

"I need you to bring them to me. See, Taichi wasn't stupid. He knew that when we come to digiworld, we become digital copies of ourselves. He also knew of the digivices power. If my theory is correct, he will have saved a back-up copy of himself and Sora onto their digivices before they died. If I have their digivices, I should be able to bring them back. They can fight alongside you, and together I'm sure you can bring down the rest of the digidestined."

"Why should we fight them?" TK asked. Ken felt slightly worried by his ability to question him, but he shook it off.

"They betrayed you, Takeru. Your brother came to me, asking to fight for me. I allowed it, and he then betrayed me. We have something in common. We can gain power together. We can get revenge. Isn't that what you want? To fight? To be powerful? To be on the winning side?"

TK stared at ken for a long time. Behind the darkness, his true self fought against it for all it was worth. But, the voice went unheard. Instead a new feeling dominated him. The need to kill. The need to be powerful, in control. Finally, he gave Ken an answer.

"I'll bring them to you..."

Kari's tears had finally stopped after her flee from the Ishida apartment. She forced herself to calm down before she'd gone to the digiworld to continue her search for TK. That had been over an hour ago. She was nearly ready to give up, when she caught a glimpse of him walking in the opposite direction of her.

"TK!" she called. When he didn't respond, she called again, "TK!"

He still did not respond, so she ran up to him and seized him by the shoulders, "What's the matter with you!? I was worried sick!"

She turned him to face her, yet when his eye's fell upon her, she drew back in a frightened manner. He stared at her with icy hatred.

"You're one of them," he whispered.

"TK, what are you talking about?" Kari asked, her fear growing.

"You're one of them!" he screamed.

He grabbed her roughly by the arms. Kari gasped in shock and pain; surprised by the new strength he possessed. He picked her up off the ground and slammed her into a nearby tree. She fell to the ground, tears now flowing freely down her cheeks. TK picked her up again, ready to throw her around some more. Kari shut her eyes.

Everything happened very fast. She heard a low growling sound. TK cried out in pain and dropped her to the ground. A new pair of arms scooped her up, but in a much different fashion. She was held to her savior's chest, as she felt them both moving very quickly, but not by their own power. They were riding on something furry. Kari willed herself to open her eyes and look upon the face of the one who's saved her. She was shocked to find herself gazing into the sapphire eye's of Matt, and discover they were riding on Garurumon.

No words were said between the two as they continued to run from TK. He didn't follow them. When they finally felt they were at a safe distance, they stopped and got down. Kari couldn't hold it in anymore.

"Oh Matt... He, he-" she cut off as her sobs prevented her from continuing. She then broke down completely, crying hysterically. Matt pulled her into his arms. She sobbed against his chest as he stroked the back of her head.

"Shh," he soothed, "That's not really him. It can't be. Ken must be controlling him somehow. I'm so sorry Kari. Don't worry. We'll fix this. I promise..."

TK dug into the ground furiously, despite an ugly read gash on his left forearm. He finally found what he was looking for. He pulled the two metallic objects from their resting place and held them up to the sunlight. He studied them for a moment before retrieving a communicating device from his pocket.

"I've got them. I'm heading back,"

Ken heard TK's voice clearly from where he sat in his base. He smiled darkly before responding.

"Good work, Takeru. Good work."

~

Okay everyone. I personally happen to think this part sucks. I used like, every cliche in the book. I kinda lost inspiration. For those who are wondering, I don't hate Matt. I love Matt. I love everyone. And this is a Takari. There was nothing going on with Matt and Kari at the end there. It was just friendship. That's for anyone who's wondering. It might take a while for part four, but bear with me. Please review! Until next time ^_^


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